Greetings: Mimin, Ghost, BJean and I (Kareyquilts) are all September 2006 bandsters. We are all around 20 pounds to goal and we want to get there as close to our 2nd band anniversary as possible! Thus, the new thread. We are putting out to the universerve and you that we want to lose that last little bit that has been tripping all of us up for a while now! We would love your support, suggestions and help. I believe that all of us (not sure about BJean) have had some plastic surgery to get rid of excess skin, etc. We are of various ages and stages, but through it all we have supported one another. In fact, of all the September bandsters that started with us, in our thread, we are the last ones to keep up the chatter. I guess we will all state how we're going to try and lose the last 20 pounds. The challenge starts on July 1st. Hope you'll join us for the ride!

Ok, I just went to the Sonic to get my daily Route 44 unsweet tea. The lady is the truck beside me was a girl I went to school with. She is probably a size 4 and very pretty. I looked over to see her inhaling a cheeseburger, fries and a drink (she was on her lunch break I'm sure). I am so ashamed of my initial response. I was sitting there thinking why can she eat that and be so thin. I was jealous. For that second I wanted a cheeseburger, fries and a coke. i was feeling sorry for me. Here I am after losing 80 pounds feeling sorry for myself that I can't eat something so unhealthy. Then I thought about how far I have come. Skinny or fat those foods are very unhealthy, and my desire is to be healthy. Wow, I have come a long way in my eating habits. I do make better choices.. But....I still have a long way to go with the emotional part of having been obese and unhealthy for so long. I am still learning to accept myself as the not obese, beautiful, healthy lady that I have become through taking control of my life and taking responsibility for my choices. So... I proudly left the Sonic with my daily Route 44 unsweet tea. :cursing:

renewedhope thanks for your post. I needed that reminder today as well.

Renewed: Life is fair! We all have to make those mental aerobics every once in while. At least you didn't partake of that junk food, even though it does taste good some times! LOL

I'm proud of you Renewed. I have come to the inevitable conclusion that the changes I have been making need to be applied for the rest of my life. I will never be able to eat anything I want - no matter how much I exercise. You know what - I am actually ok with that for the first time in my life (doesn't stop the envy though).

One of the most amazing things to me about this journey is becoming aware of just how oblivious I was to the choices I have always made when it comes to food in the past. I truly thought I had no control over my weight, but the reality is, I refused to take control and instead I ignored myself and whenever I even had a thought about food (whether I was hungry or not never seemed to come into the decision) I just reached out and grabbed and ate it as fast as I could.

How does that happen? I have always taken such pride in how I presented to others - always being friendly, smart, kind, helpful, hardworking - how could I present that way to the world, but not apply any of it internally? Hmmm- big life question - no real answers, but I am kind of sad that it took me into my 40's before I started to really "get it".

Jacquie

Very good insight Jacquie.

I went to the Dr today and got a .1cc fill. I had only lost 3 pounds in the last 3 weeks. The 3 weeks prior I lost 9 pounds, so my weight loss has really slowed. Here's the deal.. According to her scales the 3 pounds I lost was lean weight not fat. 3 weeks ago i really stepped up my exercise. I'm doing low carb. I don't eat many carbs at all. I'm thinking I need to increase my carbs and eat more protein. Most of what I eat is protein, but I just don't eat much at all. I never thought I wouldn't eat enough to lose weight. Man oh man. You ladies are the pros and have been at it along time. What do yall think??

Jacquie: Great insights. I feel the same way. My trainer said today that my weight loss should be right up there in my list of life accomplishes, maybe more than the several degrees that I have. I know he was giving me a compliment, but I guess I feel bad that I ever had to make that goal. I often ask myself, how I let myself go and why and how has my relationship to food changed. I know that obesity is a complicated thing, but I really want to embrace my new life and new size. I am proud that I have lost a lot of weight, but I'm happier that I'm getting healthy and in shape.

Renewed: It's not good to lose muscle. Does your doc have a nutritionist? Something that has helped me immensely, is a little computer program called, "Diet Power." You can download a free 2 week trial of the program and see if you would like it. The reason I like this program so much is that it grades your eating and tells you what percentage should be protien, carb, etc. I put everything I eat in it including vitamins and supplements. Once you put in the things that you commonly eat it's really no trouble. It also gives you a history of your diet that is very helpful sometimes. Anyway, that's my big tip.

Here is a link to the Diet Power website: Calorie Counter and Weight Loss Program - Diet Power

Thanks Karey!

My doc does not have a nutritionist. In fact, my insurance didn't require it because I did a weight management program through the insurance company.

I have a bodybugg. I need to get it back out. It will keep up with % of protein as well. I am just not good at logging, but obviously I need to get good at it.

When I go for visits my doc has always commented that all of my weight loss is either water or fat. never muscle. This is the first time I have lost any muscle, much less 3 pounds. During the last 3weeks I have increased exercise, had a really bad stomach virus, and TOM came to visit. I wonder if all fo this just has my body a little out of whack.

I'm thinking I might start logging my food in my bodybugg program and contiue what I have been doing, but make sure i get plenty of protein and just see what happens.

Renewed: I also used the body bugg and liked it a lot. I think I'll put it back on when I go back on maintance. I really don't like Body bugg's logging program, I think it's very hard to use and doesn't have a lot of information, but it's better than nothing. I guess I just like to feel in control and logging my food helps me fulfill that need!

I just downloaded the fre trial of diet power. It looks really neat. now I just have to figure it out. I will begin logging my food in the morning. I am really thinking about stopping low carb and just eating very healthy and balanced. Low carb has always worked well for me in the past, but you know, my body is changing. I am getting closer to goal, and I may not need such an "unbalanced" diet. Decisions, decisions.

Question: How does your doc tell that you have lost muscle rather than fat? I am very curious. My lap band clinc has one of those wonky machines that is supposed to measure your percentage of body fat and Water (tanita body composition analyser). Is that what your doc uses? When I did some research on it, the site I was looking at said that if you are dehydrated, it will not be accurate.

My appointments with my doc are always early in the morning and since I am weighing officially, I never have anything to eat or drink before my appointment :tt1: so I am not sure that the machine is anywhere near accurate.

It sounds like a good idea to try out the site that Karey suggests. I keep hearing about the body bug, but I don't know about wearing an insect all day :tongue_smilie:. I am not very technically inclined - I can't even get a pedometer to work properly on me.

Karey - just saw your ticker - CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

So I was at the gym today and apparently I have turned into an obsessive compulsive maniac. Me being on holidays may not be the best thing :tt1:.

I ended up doing a 24 minute sprint circuit and also 2 hours of cardio (45 minutes and 4.13 miles on the eliptical and 5 miles in 75 minutes on the treadmill). During my treadmill, I started with a mile walk at 4 miles per hour, then I did 12 x 1 minutes runs at 4.5- 4.7 miles per hour, alternating with 2 minutes walking at 4.2 miles per hour (over 35 minutes). After that I couldn't seem to stop myself from walking almost 2 more miles during my "cool down". I am very happy that I could actually do over 9 miles, but I also think I am setting myself up, as there is no way I can have a life and spend 2 and 1/2 hours in the gym on a daily basis!!!

Maybe it is a good thing that I am leaving on Wednesday to meet some friends in another town for a couple of days :tongue_smilie:.

jjsmiles, yes that is the machine that my doc has. I was just thinking also, I usually go to the doctor in the morning as well, but my appointment yesterday was at 4:15 in the afternoon. When I go in the morning I have not run yet or eaten anything. Yesterday I had just drank a protein shake and prior to that run 2 miles, so that has to make a difference. Also in the past 3 weeks I have had a stomach virus, TOM, and increased exercise. I have decided that I am going to log my food, but other than that I'm not going to make any other changes. I'm just going to wait and see.

Renew - I did low carb most of the time that I was losing but that is because that is how I had been eating for about the last 3 years so it was natural for me. Since I really picked up the running I had to start including whole grains and good carbs or I just couldn't make it. I thinnk now is a great time to start looking at how you want to eat for the rest of your life. Do you like eating low carb or do you find yourself craving carbs? Believe me I am still an Atkins fan. I know that I could go back on Atkins in conjunction with the band at any time and drop weight quickly...but when I started getting close to maintenance I really wanted to make sure that I was thinking about how I wanted to live the rest of my life.

I also think that their little scale thing was probably off due to everythign that you mentioned. It sounds like you have a great plan going forward and certainly are in much better health.

Thanks Salsa! That really supports what I have been thinking. In fact, I was just talking to DH. He thinks that I don't eat as much as I thnk I do. He is concerned that my calories aren't enough to support my exercise. I do not plan to do low carb from now on, but thought I would do it until I am at goal. DH was saying that I may have reached a point the my body doesn't need such an "unbalanced" plan.

As far as how I want to eat for life...I want to eat whole, unprocessed foods. I want to add back healthy fruits and veggies, and whole grain pastas. I have always exercised some and have a very muscular frame, however, since I recently increased my exercise and started running I seem to lack energy. I think I need more carbs to support the extra exercise. I am actually starting to enjoy running so stopping that is absolutely not an option.

I just don't want to stop low carb and stop losing, but I certainly don't want to lose muscle either.

The progress you have made is awesome. I really value the opinion of all you ladies who have been so successful. Yesterday I was kinda freakin out. I freaked out all the way to the hot fudge sundae I ate. Now that was helpful wasn't it. Now that I have calmed down I do realize that I just need to tweak things to keep losing well. That fear of going backwards creeps in every so often.

I am going to low carb it until I get well into ketosis again (my sundae knocked me out) and then I am going to add back healthy carbs and go from there.